Ban on emergency response fees clears Senate insurance committee

March 17, 2009|Posted by Julie Patel at 5:26 PM

The Florida Senate Banking and Insurance committee approved a bill today that would prohibit cities and counties from charging people and insurance companies fees for emergency response services after an accident.

Some local government agencies adopted emergency response fees as a way to raise revenue and pay for some police and fire department services. Ten cities, including Lauderdale Lakes, have enacted ordinances allowing the fees in some cases within the past two years, according to a Senate staff report.

Opponents -- including the Florida Insurance Council -- have said the fees are a form of taxing people twice for the same services and they could increase insurance costs for policyholders.